Pulling beam assembly



March 7, 1967 B. D. SMITH PULLING BEAM ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 INVENTOR BURTON D. SMITH ATTORNEY March 7, 1967 B. D. SMITH 3,307,248

PULLING BEAM ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 16, 1.965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZNVENTOR BURTON D. SMWH ATTORNEY March 7, 1967 B. D. SMITH PULLING BEAM ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 INVENTOR BURTQN D. SMITH ATTORNEY March 7, 1967 B. D. SMITH PULLING BEAM ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 FIG: 5

FIG. 6

INVENTOR BURTON D SM! ATTORNEY United States Patent C M 3,307,248 PULLING BEAM ASSEMBLY Burton D. Smith, Atlanta, Ga, assignor to Vulcan Materials Company, Birmingham, Ala., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 487,865 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-234) This invention relates to the manufacture of reinforced concrete pipe of the bell and spigot type and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in a core pulling beam assembly to effect the insertion of an inside pipe form or core into an outside pipe form and end forming rings without the necessity of standing the outside form vertically on end.

In many of the conventional casting methods, it is necessary that the pipe be poured in a vertical position, which presents certain manufacturing difiiculties. For example, the process necessitates the use of large cranes and also places the workman on top of forms high in the air. In addition, since the excess water works itself to the top, the spigot end which is on top is of poor concrete and presents a problem in forming, since the spigot forming ring has to be opened in order to receive the mix. It is also quite diflicult to fit the top ring to the form in a vertical position.

In order to overcome these disadvantages, a relatively recent development in pipe casting comprises a method for producing concrete pipe sections of the bell and spigot type wherein the form is disposed in a horizontal position with a relatively large feed opening extending longitudinally at its upper side, whereby the concrete can be placed more rapidly while releasing any trapped air.

An object of the present invention is to provide a core pulling beam assembly for use in inserting the inner form into a horizontally disposed outer form.

Another object is to provide a novel core engaging pulling beam and propelling mechanism which is simple in construction and easy to operate and one which will insure the proper relative positioning of the inner and outer forms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pulling beam assembly which eliminates the use of conventional heavy cranes and lifting equipment.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the pulling beam in the course of drawing an inner core into an outer form;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view showing the means for attaching the pulling beam to the inner form or core;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembly, partially broken away, to facilitate a clear understanding of the construction;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged detail of the core connecting end of the pulling beam and the opposite, pivoted end of the supporting box beam;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a similar view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

Briefly, the invention contemplates a telescoping assembly comprising a main housing which is horizontally disposed and pivotally mounted at one end, having a longitudinally slidable pulling beam adapted to be pro- 3,307,248 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 jected into one end of an outer pipe form into engagement with the end of an inner pipe form, and including means for retracting the pulling beam into the housing, while at the same time, propelling the inner pipe form into the outer pipe form.

More specifically, the assembly comprises a housing or box beam generally indicated at 10, preferably formed of two, longitudinally extending, laterally spaced side channels 11 having top and bottom closure plates 12 and 13 bolted thereto, as at 14, to form an elongated, open-ended box-like structure. As seen in FIG. 4, one end of the box beam It is provided with a trunnion member 15 by means of which it is pivotally supported on a vertical standard 16. At the opposite end of the box beam, its top plate 12 supports a motor 17, the shaft of which drives a sprocket 18. Two coacting idler sprockets 19 are rotatably supported on the top plate 12 in downwardly spaced relation to sprocket 18 for rotation within a longitudinal slot 20 in the top plate. A sprocket chain 21, having one end secured to the pivoted end of the box beam as at 22, passes under the two idler sprockets 19 and over the drive sprocket 18 through the slot 20' for connection to the pulling beam, as will be later described.

The motor carrying end of the box beam 10 is adjustably supported on a suitable air spring 23 and hinge plate assembly 24, whereby that end of the box beam may be vertically adjusted pneumatically. While the drawings show an air spring for this purpose, it will be understood that any vertical adjusting device may be employed and operated, either mechanically or hydraulically.

A pulling beam, preferably in the form of an I-beam, generally indicated at 25, is slidably supported in the box beam 19 for projection and retraction with respect thereto. One end of the. pulling beam carries a pair of vertically spaced rollers 26, rotatably supported in a hearing assembly 27 (FIG. 6) and adapted to rotatably engage the inner surfaces of top and bottom plates 12 and 13, respectively, of the box beam. At the opposite end of the box beam, the webs of the two channels 11 are provided internally with a pair of rollers 28 (FIG. 5), rotatably supported on pins 29 and located at a height to rotatably support the undersurface of the top flange of the I-beam. Thus, when the pulling beam 25 is moved longitudinally within the box beam in either direction, the rollers 28 remain fixed with respect to the box beam, and the rollers 26 move with the pulling beam to provide a smooth, longitudinal projection or retraction of the pulling beam.

As previously stated, one end of the chain 21 is connected to one end of the pulling beam at 22, and, as seen in FIG. 4, its opposite end is connected as at St) to the adjacent end of the pulling beam, with the intermediate portion of the chain alternately passing under one sprocket 19, over the sprocket 18, and under the other sprocket 19. Upon rotation of the motor 17 in either direction, the chain 21 is caused to undergo a pulling action on the pulling beam in the corresponding direction of rotation of the motor to project or retract the pulling beam with respect to the box beam.

The projectible end of the pulling beam 25 is designed for connection to the core C or inner form member of the pipe form. Preferably, a vertically disposed plate 31 is welded or otherwise fixed to the end of the core C, as shown in FIG. 2, and this plate is provided with a central opening 32 adapted to receive a projecting support pin 33, welded or otherwise secured to the underside of the pulling beam 25. After the pin 33 has been inserted in the opening 32, a latch arm 34, pivotally secured to the central web of the pulling beam, as at 35, is swung downwardly, engaging the upper edge of the plate 31 to thereby transmit the motion of the pulling beam 25 to the core C.

It will be understood that while the drawings show a gear motor and chain arrangement for propelling the pulling beam, air motors, cables and other propelling means may be employed.

In operation, the outer form X of a pipe forming assembly is supported in any suitable manner to maintain an accurate horizontal position, and the inner form or core C is supported on rollers (not shown) which are raised or lowered to facilitate entry of the core into the spigot forming ring X of theiouter form. FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates the relationship of the inner and outer formsrand the connection of the pulling beam 25 to the inner form C which is shown in the course of being drawn longitudinally into the outer form X. The attachment of the pulling beam 25 to the core C is first eflected by causing the counterclockwise rotation of motor 17, which, through the sprockets 18 and 19 and the chain 21, projects the pulling beam 25 a sufiicient distance for connection of the hook and plate members 31 and 34, as seen in FIG. 2. The air spring 23 is then adjusted to align the box beam 10 on its pivot 15 to insure the proper positioning of the core C for entry through the spigot forming ring X of the outer form into the bell forming ring X2. 'Thereupon, the clockwise rotation of the motor 17 causes the chain 21 to retract the pulling beam 25 into the box beam 10, bringing with it the core C.

After the core has been properly placed in the outer form X, the hook 34 is disconnected from the plate 31 and by continuing the clockwise rotation of the motor 17, the pulling beam 25, now disengaged from the core, is further retracted into the box beam.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pulling beam assembly for longitudinally propelling an inner core member into a horizontally disposed outer form, comprising an elongated, open-ended housing, a pulling beam longitudinally slida'ble in said housing, anti-friction means supporting said pulling beam in said housing, a motor fixed externally on said housing, a main sprocket driven by said motor, a slot in the top wallof said housing adjacent said sprocket, a pair of idler sprockets mounted on said housing on opposite sides of said driven sprocket, an elongated chain connected at opposite ends to said pulling beam and engaging said sprockets through said slot, whereby operation of said motor in either direction will transmit corresponding motion to said chain and pulling beam, and means at one end of said pulling beam for connecting the same to said inner core member.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of said housing is pivoted and including means at its opposite end for vertically adjusting said housing on its pivot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 485,691 11/ 1892 Harrington 29234 695,604 3/1902 Franklin 2l432 2,521,991 9/1950 Nelson 29 '234 2,642,655 6/1953 Davis 29234 3,061,914 11/1962 Johnston 2141 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PULLING BEAM ASSEMBLY FOR LONGITUDINALLY PROPELLING AN INNER CORE MEMBER INTO A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED OUTER FORM, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED, OPEN-ENDED HOUSING, A PULLING BEAM LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID HOUSING, ANTI-FRICTION MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PULLING BEAM IN SAID HOUSING, A MOTOR FIXED EXTERNALLY ON SAID HOUSING, A MAIN SPROCKET DRIVEN BY SAID MOTOR, A SLOT IN THE TOP WALL OF SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID SPROCKET, A PAIR OF IDLER SPROCKETS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID DRIVEN SPROCKET, AN ELONGATED CHAIN CONNECTED AT OPPOSITE ENDS TO SAID PULLING BEAM AND ENGAGING SAID SPROCKETS THROUGH SAID SLOT, WHEREBY OPERATION OF SAID MOTOR IN EITHER DIRECTION WILL TRANSMIT CORRESPONDING MOTION TO SAID CHAIN AND PULLING BEAM, AND MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID PULLING BEAM FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO SAID INNER CORE MEMBER. 